Let's not make the prestigious award a shameWhether recommendation or no recommendation, I don't think it really matters in Sachin Tendulkar's case. The Bharat Ratna award is the highest civilian award and there is no doubt that Tendulkar is one of the highest civilian. In fact he is an internationally respected personality, who needs no introduction anywhere in the world. I don't think we should make so much fuss over the issue, whether the paperwork for the Tendulkar's award was hurried or there was recommendation from Rahul Gandhi. What is wrong if Rahul intervened, he also is a public figure, he can recommend Tendulkar's name for the award. First we made fuss over why Bharat Ratna should be given to a sports personality and now this. I think we Indians should stop this activity of cooking controversies.Umesh Shinde, Cricket EnthusiastIt was an election gimmick by UPAConferring Bharat Ratna was an act of desperation by UPA government whose popularity was waning speedily. It was not only to acknowledge the contribution of this great player but to appease the voters in general with election in the background. The nomination process for this award generally involves recommendations from prominent personalities of different walks of life. In the case of Tendulkar, coming from such most popular sport in the country and with vivid achievements the government didn't waste time in asking for recommendations. The intervention by Rahul Gandhi in this decision making process is highly possible as a de-facto authority. Government also speculated the minimum opposition from the people for whom cricket is like religion and Sachin, is God of cricket.Vidyabhushan Arya, Political AnalystOther sportsmen should be given their due tooWith the Bharat Ratna becoming a chink in Tendulkar's armour, his critics find much to think. The award, allegedly given in a hurry poses a lot of question, some linking to the younger Gandhi himself. According to me, Tendulkar due to his sheer talented work deserves the award and much mulling would have resulted the same. Him being first should not deter his work; in fact it is a happy occasion that the government has finally seen the sportsmen at par with the other artist. The only cautionary measure shall be that the award shouldn't just stop at the cricket's doorstep. Other sportsperson have shown equal potential and thus shall be provided with the same stature. The final thought born out of this conflict reflects that life is not a bed of roses even if you are God.Gargi Verma, studentTendulkar deserves this awardBharat Ratna awardee Sachin Tendulkar, in my opinion doesn't need any recommendation of any kind and from anyone for this Honour. Tendulkar received this Honour at the end of his playing career, Millions of people all over the world know that this decision would never be wrong, his records speak volumes and his repeated performances make him deserve this Honour much ahead of time. Being a sportsman, I feel that a legend like Tendulkar deserves this honour rightfully and doesn't require even five hours of paper work and ten years of discussions.Tushar Ramanan, Fitness ProfessionalDhyan Chand was ignoredI was pleasantly surprised when the Indian Government conferred the Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar mere hours after his last international cricket match. Although, it was a proud moment for millions of Indians, and Tendulkar deserved it, it brought to light the dominance of cricket in Indian sports again. Any sport, when up against cricket, suffers in viewership, government funding, and most importantly in receiving respect, from both the government and the people. Allegedly, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government made the last minute, but vital, change to ignore hockey maestro Dhyan Chand for the Bharat Ratna by replacing the his candidature with that of Sachin Tendulkar. Had it passed through the systematic selection machinery with recommendation, it would have been credible, but the decision was made very quickly during the election phase, and bypassed necessary pre-requisites of selecting India's highest civilian award winner.Kaartikeya Bajpai, StudentBetter attention should be paid to give awardIt's not every day that someone receives a Bharat Ratna. And for Dhyan Chand, the legendary hockey player, it already has been too 'late'. The fact that Sachin Tendulkar was honoured with such a prestigious award isn't that much of an issue. The problem lies in the manner in which he received it. Certainly the former Prime Minister seems to have been influenced, especially since there was no written recommendation from anywhere for our master blaster. No one's complaining though; his fans are really happy. I am a fan too, so much so that I stopped watching cricket after he retired. But I feel everything has a procedure, and that it should have been followed. If this is how awards will be 'distributed' now, then how will anyone be able to treat it with the same amount of respect?Nandini Saraf, author

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